Why Outdoor Winter Exercise is Good for You

The cold winter weather does not only make us feel more sluggish, but it also makes us want to eat more. But don’t let the low temperature stop you from going outdoors and exercising. You may wonder if it is safe to exercise outdoors especially if it’s freezing. Well, there are actually some great perks to cold-weather workouts and here are three of them, along with precautions you should take so you can be fit and healthy this winter.

You’ll Burn More Calories

One study showed that regular exercise in a cold climate can help boost the production of calorie-burning brown fat by 45%. Brown fat burns calories to produce heat, which increases your overall metabolism. This can help stave off the winter weight that accumulates from the lack of daily activity, decreased intake of fresh food, and increased consumption of comfort foods. It May Improve Your Mood Generally, exercise enhances the mood and has been found to lessen stress, anxiety, and depression but according to studies, more benefits can be gained from exercising outdoors. Also, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), the chill of the winter can also make you feel more awake and energized.

Physical Activity Can Improve Your Overall Health

Exercising outdoors can also help reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by up to 27% over being inactive. Outdoor exercise can also increase endurance and mental edge. It is also correlated to higher levels of Vitamin D, which supports a healthy immune system, optimal bone health, and can protect against cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. While outdoor exercise is good for your health, it is still important to be careful with the potential risks so safety cautions have to be heeded and here are some tips: Consider Any Heart Problems Be sure to check with your doctor if you are inactive and have an existing heart condition before you begin exercising outdoors on the winter. It’s recommended to start exercising regularly indoors before taking it outside. Studies found that individuals with a history of heart disease had a 41% risk of dying from a heart attack in the winter. Moreover, another study showed that winter tourists experience heart attacks during the first two days of their vacation, primarily in people who don’t often exercise or had risk factors for heart disease. Don’t Forget to Stay Hydrated Hydration is still important during cold temperatures, even when you think you don’t sweat, you still lose a substantial amount of body fluid.l, and even if you’re not thirsty, it is still crucial to drink plenty stay hydrated by drinking and sufficient amount of fluids.

Protect Your Skin From UV Rays

Your skin can easily dry and irritated in cold and windy weather, so it’s important to moisturize before and after exercising. Make sure to also protect your face and cover your all exposed areas. While it may be cloudy, you can still surprisingly get sunburn, so its best to wear sunscreen that has UVA and UVB protection. Dress For Success Prepare your outdoor winter exercise clothes and make sure that you don’t over or underdress. Your body can heat up quickly when you exercise, so bundling up may not be a good idea. Dress in layers so you can remove them when your feel to hot. Cotton can soak up sweat and cause you to freeze when you slow down, so it’s best to wear wool or synthetic fabrics. Your bottom layer should be one that has wicking properties. Warm up exercises help a lot with heating up your body, which enables you to transition to the cold steadily.

Exercising outdoors in the cold is a good idea as long as you take the necessary precautions and preparations, which are quite easy. If you still don’t like the cold, you can still exercise inside your house. Keep exercising throughout the winter and resist the urge to slack off.

The Wisdom Segment

I
The first American football game was played between two college teams, Princeton and Rutgers, on November 6, 1869. The sport is called gridiron in Canada and the United States and is an offshoot of soccer and rugby that emerged during the 1800s and was professionalized in 1920.

II
It was only during the implementation of the Rugby Union Code that carrying the ball was allowed. During the later part of the 1800s, Walter Camp, the Father of American Football, introduced a new set of rules. Old Walt established the snap and introduced the concept of downs, lines of scrimmage, and 11-player teams.

III
Approximately two million footballs are made annually by The Wilson Sporting Goods Company, based in Ohio, which has been recognized as the NFLs official ball supplier since 1941. Did you know that about 600 cows are needed to make footballs for a whole season?

IV
Despite being a relatively new sport, American football has become wildly popular in the United States. In fact, the Super Bowl regularly ranks as the most-watched sports event in America. The 1958 NFL Championship game boosted gridiron's popularity to such an extent it was dubbed the Greatest Game Ever Played.

V
Most athletes dream of getting into the NFL, not just for love of the game, but also to alleviate their family's poverty. The average salary of an NFL player is $2.1 million; however, due to poor financial management, most retired NFL athletes go bankrupt.

VI
Prime Time Deion Sanders played in the NFL for 14 seasons, and the MLB for nine seasons. No other athlete has ever made a home run in the MLB and scored a touchdown in the NFL in the same week, nor played in both the Super Bowl and the World Series.